Ribbon
by The-Seeress-Yeul
Summary: One puffed up aerobics bodybuilder slash bear asks his love a very important question.


**AN: A birthday gift for sasuukeh. This fic contains shared headcanons between herself and a mutual friend.**

"Is this what you want?"

His brother's words tumble through his scattered brain. Is this what he wanted? Of course it is. Or at least he hoped so. Sabin was foreign to courting ladies. Well there had been the occasional woman to try and woo him, their charms never worked on him. Maybe it was because they weren't the one - the one he wanted to spend his life with. That had all changed when he met her that day on the mountain - the day he reunited with his elder brother.

That day Sabin had been browsing the local wares of one of the food stores thinking to himself how great a home-cooked meal would be. Sabin was not the greatest cook. In fact he was rather terrible. There were a few dishes he was capable of making (courtesy of his training master) and those were just simple concerning noodles and how to cook a steak. Anything else Sabin was incapable of cooking. He didn't know why. But it didn't really bother him. Noodles and steak were good enough for him! Especially when he tried different noodles with the steak and got a little crazy with the vegetables. His master, Duncan, had said nearly a decade ago that these dishes plus good exercise routine would help Sabin overcome his illness as long as Sabin was willing. He had been more than willing and took his training seriously as he wanted to overcome the illness that had plagued his lanky body at seventeen. Fast forward a decade and now he's more than fit and could probably suplex a train if he wanted.

Sabin had been out at the market gathering ingredients for an incredible dish when there had been whispers from a few of the younger children and even young adults that Vargas had plans to murder his father. In his shock, he dropped the carrots and leeks he had been examining. _No way… there was no way Vargas could do something like that._ Those thoughts had raced through his mind and while he reassured the shopkeeper that nothing was wrong, he had raced out of the door and stopped over at Duncan's house.

His wife was there, chipper, and had absolutely no idea what Sabin was talking about but she did tell him that Duncan had go to the mountain to train.

Of course he'd gone to the mountain to train. It's where Duncan had taken all of his students.

He had given her his thanks, waved goodbye, and had promptly left for the mountain.

Climbing the mountain was not difficult for him any longer. His muscles had grown and strengthened over the past decade and Sabin was no longer that sickly boy of the past. But none of that had mattered in this moment. He had to get to Vargas before he committed the ultimate sin.

Sabin had been too late. Vargas had committed a sin and while Sabin had tried to calm down his rival, he would not listen to reason. Vargas perished on the mountain that day never to return.

After the battle was over, Sabin reunited with his brother, Edgar, who was King of Figaro and had 'helped' Sabin win his freedom. Sabin was also introduced to Locke, a no-good thief, er, _treasure hunter_, and an magick using female called Terra. She had called him a bear that day and it had dumbfounded him so. He was really as interchangeable as a 600 pound grizzly bear? Back then he'd laughed it off and taken what she had said for a compliment and it was a good thing as Terra, who had spent eighteen years with a slave crown on her head and no memories, was naive and while she knew some things, most things were… well interchangeable for her. Sabin was the same as a giant hairy grizzly and Sabin had wondered if that meant he should start to shave again. Having a beard was bothersome at times. Especially when eating.

But Sabin would never forget how Terra had made him feel when they met a year ago. Her emerald hair and her violet eyes. How she looked in her magenta hued dress adorned with purple shoulder pads. How her innocence in a world fearing the Empire both stunned and impressed him. Secretly he had wondered if he'd ever have a chance with her. Edgar had already put the moves on her and Locke was well… Locke. Setzer was an enigma. But he was colourfully surprised when he began to notice how natural they felt around each other and how smooth their conversations were with one another. How they fit together as easily as two puzzle pieces. He was also surprised when his heart had begun to pound hard around her and sometimes he would begin to get nervous and lose his cool. His first love had been cake so a woman was something else entirely especially a woman as marvelous as Terra.

He loved the way the wind blew her hair and how strands of it wrapped around her petite face. He loved how her small dainty hands would desperately try to push it back when she was handling her kids. He loved it when she asked him questions and he could teach her what he could. He loved holding her small hand in his big one and he loved picking her up and twirling her when they hugged. And he loved taking a chocobo out to see her.

Today was one of those days. Sabin had been with Edgar, consulting him about the best way to woo a girl and while Edgar had begun to joke around, things had taken a turn when Sabin had explained that he was serious about what he was asking. What he was asking wasn't just about any old thing. It was about the most serious form of commitment in a relationship. Well… actually it was the second. Sabin wasn't ready yet for the first and he didn't think Terra was yet either plus it was still too soon.

"Is this what you want?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have come to you for advice if I wasn't."

Edgar slyly punches his younger brother on the shoulder. "Alright then, big shot. Go get her."

With a nod of his head and a reassuring slap on his brother's back, he was off.

He'd taken the ferry from South Figaro to Nikeah and had rented a chocobo. It was a long ride to Mobliz and his mind raced with the thoughts of what he wanted to do. The ends of the ribbon around his bicep that Terra had given him one day he had been visiting her flutters in the wind.

About an hour later, he was in Mobliz. His leads his chocobo to a stable he had built with some of the children and lets it rest and refresh itself with food and drink. Some of the children come running up to him as they had heard him approach due to the chocobo giving off a very loud "Kweh!" moments before.

"It's Mash!" "Sabin!"

There was a chorus of little voices called out his name and the stupid name Relm had given to him. He chuckles and holds his hands up to tell them to settle down.

"Now, now. Does Terra know I'm here?"

"Mom?" "Terra?" "I think so. Why?"

They had all answered him at once again.

"Oh. No reason. Just wanted to see how she was doing is all." He replies, nonchalant.

The kids just look at each other and smirk in reply.

That's when one of them notices the ribbon around his bicep and points, inquiring, "Is that one of Momma's ribbons?"

Sabin chuckles again, hands on his hips, and replies, "Yeah. 'Momma' gave it to me so we'd never be apart no matter how far away we are."

One of the little girls puts her hands on her cheeks and gushes. "Ohmigod! That is _so _romantic!" The other girls copy her while the boys stick out their tongues as a universal symbol of saying 'Yuck!'

"Well, if ya don't mind, I'm off to find your 'momma' so behave, you runts!" He bids them farewell while they protest behind him that they're no runts and that they could probably take him in a fight.

This only reminded him of Relm who was more trouble than she was meant to be, but Strago had told him about her mother and that her father had left him, so it didn't really bother him _that _much how often she got on his nerves. If anything, he'd be there for her in those dark times because he knew what it was like to lose a mother (despite never really knowing his) and even losing a father. In a way… Sabin wanted to be a big brother to Relm and he knows she'd never admit it but she would probably be most grateful.

Sabin passes by a few of the remodeled houses he had helped with and turns a corner. There he sees her. She's kneeling next to Katarin in their makeshift garden - another thing Sabin was good at since he owned a cabin outside of South Figaro with his own garden that housed turnips mostly but it also housed the occasional lettuce and tomato plant too.

Terra is kneeling next to Katarin who is sitting on the dirt as her daughter runs around trying to catch a stray butterfly around them. The pair are laughing and it is Katarin that first notices Sabin and his soft smile at the two, but mainly Terra, and Katarin stands up, wiping the dirt off of herself and picking up her daughter. He can tell she excuses herself because of Terra's confused expression and the formation of a question on her lips but it fades when she sees Sabin. Her confusion is erased by pure happiness and a bright smile. There his heart goes again but Sabin tries to stifle it as he can't get cold feet now.

"So! You think you can just sneak up on me, huh?" Terra teases him as Sabin walks over to her.

"To be honest I didn't think I _was _sneaking up on you. The kids all heard me coming just fine!" He rebuts.

The two laugh and Terra turns her attention back to their garden.

"Those turnips you planted are really turning out great. It's only been about half a month since planted them but they look so healthy!"

"Well of course! They wouldn't have looked this good if Edgar had helped!"

She playfully elbows him. "I think you should give your brother some more credit. I'm sure he keeps a potted vegetable in his room… somewhere."

This causes Sabin to laugh loudly.

"_Sabin_!"

"Sorry! It's just," he wipes a tear from his eye. "I can't imagine _Edgar _keeping a garden."

Terra only pouts at this as Sabin continues laughing.

A few moments pass between the two in silence as Terra goes back to her work tending the plants and Sabin helps. Finally when they're all done, they stand to admire their handiwork and Sabin realizes that this is the perfect time to ask her or well it would be but Terra had noticed her ribbon.

"You still have it!"

"Why wouldn't I? It's… Well, it's precious to me, Tina," That was his pet name for her. "It's from you and I wear it always and I cherish it deeply."

Terra blushes in response and the pink of her cheeks stands out against her pale skin and emerald green hair.

"Was there any particular reason you have for coming?"

Sabin chokes on his spit. Yes, of course, he had a reason, but he tries to play it off.

"Well… no. I just like to be around you." Now it's _his _turn to blush.

Terra also blushes more fiercely than before.

"Actually I did have a reason for coming. I want to ask you something."

Her attention is piqued and she stands up a little taller. "Yes?"

"Well, I… You see... Tina! Iwantedtoaskyou-"

"Sabin, I can't understand you."

A deep breath later just like his brother told him too and, "I wanted to ask if you… if you would like to be in a relationship with me."

The look of shock on his face momentarily makes him wish he hadn't even asked but she smiles soon afterwards. The two of them had been developing feelings for each other for a long time. It had been a slow process and Sabin had been patient with Terra and even with himself since he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but he felt that what he wanted to ask, what he _had _asked was a long time coming.

"Of course!" Terra replies, taking his big hands into her small ones and stands on her tip-toes to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

He hadn't expected such a quick response or even a yes so he's clearly dumbfounded for a moment before beaming with joy and squeezing her hands momentarily before spinning her around in a hug.

Terra giggles and says Sabin's name and once he sets Terra down, Sabin gives her kiss on the lips. The pair hear a collective band of chuckles and 'Yuck!'s and a 'Oh! How _romantic!_'

"Well… the kids certainly seem to support us." Terra says, playing with a strand of her hair.

"As long as they don't start to call me 'Dad'! I ain't a 'Dad' yet!"

END


End file.
